Immunoinformatic Analysis Reveals Antigenic Heterogeneity of Epstein-Barr Virus Is Immune-Driven.

ABSTRACT: Whole genome sequencing of Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) isolates from around the world has uncovered pervasive strain heterogeneity, but the forces driving strain diversification and the impact on immune recognition remained largely unknown. Using a data mining approach, we analyzed more than 300 T-cell epitopes in 168 published EBV strains. Polymorphisms were detected in approximately 65% of all CD8+ and 80% of all CD4+ T-cell epitopes and these numbers further increased when epitope flanking regions were included. Polymorphisms in CD8+ T-cell epitopes often involved MHC anchor residues and resulted in changes of the amino acid subgroup, suggesting that only a limited number of conserved T-cell epitopes may represent generic target antigens against different viral strains. Although considered

SUBMITTER: Cirac A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8716887 | biostudies-literature | 2021

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature